1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flywheel lock capable of positioning a flywheel and accompanying rotating shaft in an almost infinite number of positions and capable of locking the flywheel and accompanying shaft in place. In particular, the present invention is directed to a flywheel lock used for critical positioning of engine parts and used in connection with maintenance and repair of large engines. The device will allow unprecedented safety in or around the engines.
2. Prior Art
Large internal combustion engines are used in a number of industrial applications, such as integral gas compressors used to compress natural gas at gas transmission stations. The engines have long shafts which rotate in bearing saddles and operate in conjunction with valves and other moving components. One end of the rotating shaft terminates in a large diameter flywheel to assist in momentum. The outside edge of the flywheel often contains a series of slots so that the radial edge is in the form of a cog. The flywheel and the shaft may each weigh several tons. Periodically, maintenance and repair work are necessary. For example, it may be necessary to position the shaft in a desired rotational position for settings such as piston end clearances and positioning of various sensors. For optimum performance, the shaft and flywheel must be precisely positioned and then held in place.
Additionally, it is critical to lock the shaft and the flywheel in place while personnel are in and around the shaft, the flywheel and other accompanying machinery. Any inadvertent movement of the shaft or the flywheel could cause dangerous conditions. This situation is avoided by attempting to lock the flywheel in place which also locks the shaft and accompanying components.
Over the years, crude arrangements have been employed, such as wooden and/or metal blocks which are jammed against the flywheel to retain the flywheel in a particular position. In one known prior art device, a post is mounted to the floor adjacent the flywheel and a threaded bolt or pin is extended through the post and in to one of the slots in the flywheel. In another known prior art device, a three toothed plate pivots on a pin parallel to the shaft and is movable toward or away from the flywheel edge. These devices suffer from a lack of strength and can only be positioned in a limited number of locations.
Braking mechanisms have also been known in the past for internal combustion engines, such as:
Herndon (U.S. Pat. No. 2,606,461) discloses a brake mechanism to prevent spinning of idling transmission elements by a braking idler body 45.
Stinner (U.S. Pat. No. 1,757,270) discloses a braking system including a brake ring 41.
Nevertheless, there remains a need for a flywheel lock device that will position a flywheel, a shaft and accompanying engine machinery in a desired rotational position.
There also remains a need for a flywheel lock device that will lock a flywheel and shaft in place during maintenance and repairs on the engine.
There also remains a need for a flywheel lock device that will provide more safety against movement than heretofore known.